"Hah!" sneered Pierre. "You bring me trouble!"

"What are you doing that for?" demanded Will.

The half-breed peered into the opening with eyes that resembled
those of a snake, so full of malice and hatred were they.

"You steal my boy!" he said.

"So this is a trap, is it?" Will demanded.

The half-breed answered by a chuckle of laughter."

"If you don't take those stones away," Will threatened, "I'll fill
you full of lead when I do get out!"

The half-breed patted his gun stock significantly, but made no
reply.

The boy heard him rolling rocks along the cavern floor and against
the opening, and turned away hoping to find some other means of
egress.

It was clear to him that the half-breed thoroughly understood the
situation in the hills. He had no doubt that he had planned to
bring him there for the purpose which had developed. He
understood, too, that if there were other openings to the cavern,
Pierre knew where they were, and would block them as soon as he had
effectually blocked the one by which entrance had been effected.